Branding iron



Dec. 4, 1962 A. E. Hl-:LBLING BRANDING IRON 2 Sheefs-Sheet l Filed001'.. l, 1959 INVENTOR ANTON E. HELBLING y MQW-- ATTORNEY Dec. 4, 1962A. E. HELBLING 3,067,314

BRANDING IRON Filed OCt. l, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. ANTON E.HELBLING BY @M-QML ATTORNE Y 3,067,314 Patented Dec. 4, 19h32 tice3,067,314 BRANDING IRON Anton E. Helbling, 408 E. Main, Mandati, N. Dak.Filed Oct. 1, 1959, Ser. No. 843,757 18 Ciaims. (Cl. 219-30) Thisinvention relates to ythe identification of commodities of various kindsincluding livestock and to the equipment employed for the application ofidentifying marks or brands. More specical-ly, the invention isconcerned with electric branding irons employed in the branding oflivestock and in which the heated brand face portion of the device issupported in space-d relation to :the handle.

Electric branding irons have been manufactured in the past with thebranding face spaced -a substantial distance from lthe body. However,irons of this character when subjected to rough usage on a livestockrange or the like have been easily distorted and otherwise damaged andthe damage has been commensurate with the size of the brand andcomplexity of .the construction of the iron. Also in cattle raisingindustry each rancher adopts and uses his own brand making it necessaryto individually produce each branding face at a lsubstantial cost inmanufacturing and assembling.

I-t is yan object of this invention to overcome defects heretoforeencountered and to provide a branding iron of simple and inexpensiveconstruction of great strength and rigidity and durability as well as4to provide a relatively compact iron in which the heating element andsupports may be attached toa handle during the process of manufacturingwith ease and rapidity.

Another object of the invention is a novel brand face support whichconducts a minimum amount of heat away from the brand face, as well asia novel support for the brand face that is tree from projections whichmay interfere with and obstruct the portion of the brand which contactsthe -skin of the animal.

A further object of the invention is to provide a method ofmanufacturing branding irons to exact specifications as to form and sizefrom a minimum inventory of parts.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the electric branding device including thebranding face in the form of the numeral 5, connecting arms, brandsupport, and connecting handle, with portions of the handle cutawayexposing the interior thereof;

FIG. 2, a section taken along line 2-2 of FIG. l;

FIG. 3, a section taken along line 3 3 of FIG. l exposing the interiorof ya portion of the branding face and the interior of a portion of ltheconnecting arm;

FIG. 4, a cutaway along line 4 4 of FIG. 1 revealing `the claw and itsmanner of attachment of 'the legs of the -support to the brand heatingelement with the heating element shown in cross-section;

FIG. 5, a modified form of claw having a square inner diameter and across-sectional view of the heating ele ment to which Iit is attached;

FIG. 6, a perspective of a further modied form of leg attachment to thebrand wherein the claw is in the form of a half-sleeve;

FIG. 7, a cut-away along line 7-7 of FIG. 6 showing the cross-:sectionalview of the further modied form of leg attachment;

FIG. 8, a perspective view disclosing the attachment of the support to atypical two-letter brand formed to the shape BT;

FIG. 9, -a perspective view of a modified wrap-around support for thebrand;

FIG. l0, another perspective of the modiied wraparound support; and

FIG. 11, a section taken along line 11--11 of FIG. 9.

Briey stated, the invention includes `a branding iron having a heatingelement yand handle in which the ends of the heating element are mountedand retained by a ball-screw lock to the handle and the intermediateportion of the heating element extends away from the handle and forms abrand face, supporting elements each including a U-shaped claw androd-like extension thereto, with the U-shaped claw adapted to beattached to the brand face and the ends of the rod-like extensionsadapted to be inserted into selected slots of a plurality of availableslots `arranged in vspaced relation about an annular flange at the endof the handle.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, FIG. 1 discloses ltheassembled branding iron with a single letter brand formed by the heatingelement. A handle gripping portion 20 is provided at one end of janelongated intermediate stem portion 21. A metallic cap or plug 22mounted at :the other end of the stem acts to retain and support theheating element 23` in spaced relationship to the handle.

The heating element 23 includes a brand face portion 24 and connectingarms 28 and 28. The brand face portion is formed yof a casing 25 and -acoil resistance wire 26 with nonconductive powdered insulation 27therebetween. Connecting arm portions 28 and 28 are formed integrallywith 4the brand face portion 24, and each has a current-carryingelectrode 29 of a substantially large diameter electrically connected tocoil 26 located in the intermediate portion of the heating element. Thelarge diameter electrodes reduce the resistance to the current andmaintain the arms relatively cool when the brand is electrically heated.

The metallic cap plug 22 has a cylindrical metal core body portion 3@having two bore holes 31 and 31 which act to receive and retain the freeends 32 and 32' of the two connecting arms 28 and 28 of the heatingelement 23. A radial bore 33 is provided in the core which connects tothe passageways formed by the pair of bores 3i and 31. A bali bearing 34located in the radial bore 33 abuts the connecting arms to lock the armsin the core body of the plug and a set screw 35 forcibly maintains theball bearing against the arms.

The outer end of the plug 22 has a frusto-conical portion 36 and anannular flange 37. The annular llange of the plug 22 has a plurality ofcircumterentially spaced slots 38 about its outer diameter for receivingthe ends of the brand rods or supports 40.

A plurality of brand supports or bracing rods 4i? each has a claw il atthe other end mounted to the heating element at various locations alongthe back side of the brand face 23. The pointed legs 41 of claws 41tightly grip the heating element forming the brand tace; however, theyextend only partially around toward the front side Z4- of the brand faceto prevent their interfering with the direct Contact of the front sideof the brand face with the material, skin or surface to be branded.

The claw or fork or straddling or attaching member 41 has a limitedthickness where it physically contacts the heating element casing 25 atthe locations along the brand face 25 in order to minimize the heattransfer by conduction from the heating element to the claw so as toprevent the creation of dark spots on the letters or symbols of theheating element.

The modified form of claw or straddling or attaching member, illustratedin FIGS. 6 and 7 is of a half-sleeve 44 connected to the end of thesupport with an insulating liner 45 for directly contacting the heatingelement. This `from the heating element to the claw.

A second modified form of claw 46 illustrated in FIG. 5 has a squareinner diameter 47 which acts to contact the heating element only atthree points and thereby reduces the amount of area of the clawcontacting the heating element and accordingly reduces the amount ofheat transfer from the heating element.

Where two letter brands are employed with the slotted annular flangesupport as illustrated in FIG. 8 the intermediate portion fZ whichconnects one brand letter with the next is supported by similar claws43. Since the intermediate portion 42 of the heating element is not apart of the actual brand, it being located rearwardly from the brandface, the amount of heat transfer is generally immaterial. As a resultthe claws 43 may, if desired, extend entirely around the heating elementor the end of the rod 40 may be wrapped around the portion 42 in themanner illustrated in FIGS. 9, 10 and 1l.

While the annular slotted fiange support structure represents thepreferred form of the invention, a modified form of support for thebrand is ilustrated in |`FIGS. 9, 10 and l1 wherein the rods 40 aremounted in a wraparound fashion. The claws 41 and the connecting rods rvsimilarly act to support the brand face with the free ends 53 of therods 40 being wrapped around the supporting arms 28 adjacent the handleor the metal cap. The rods are mounted diagonally to one another and arespot welded at their point of intersection 54 so as to provide a maximumamount of strength and rigidity to the framework. The intermediateportion 42 does not employ the claws 43 and, in lieu thereof, the rodsare wrapped around at spaced locations 55 and 56.

Attached to the free ends of the current-carrying electrodes 29 and 29of arms 28 and 28 are the currentcarrying wires of cord 49 withattachment provided by a pair of metallic permanently deformablemetallic connectors 50 with plastic tube casings 50'. Ceramic or micawashers `53 are mounted to each of the rods Z9 to electrically shieldthe ends of the heating element casings Z5. The cord also includes aground wire 51 which is directly connected to the metallic core body 30of the cap or plug 22. This core body portion 3f) may, if desired, be ofnonrnetallic material. In such event, the ground wire 51 would then `beclamped to the heating element instead. A clamp 52 mounted in the handlegripping portion 20 retains the cord in a fixed position in the handle.

in manufacturing branding irons of this character, a pattern is drawnfor the particular brand ordered 'by the customer. The branding heatingelements are manufactured with the heating coil portion longer in somethan in others and the connecting arm portion 28 normally of the samelength. The lineal length of the brand letters is measured with anexcess added to the measurement to provide for the connecting portions42 between the letters and the total length then determines a particularheating element which is then selected depending upon the sum of themeasurement.

The heating element is then placed upon the brand pattern and bendingtools are used to form the letters and bending the connecting armportions upwardly into spaced parallel relation.

Thereafter the metallic cap or plug Z2 is inserted over the free end 43of the connecting arms and the ball bearing 3d is inserted into bore 33,a set screw 35 is then screwed into the bore locking the upper portions48 and 43 of the ar-ms 28 and 2S to the metallic plug. The use of theball bearing 34 prevents the immediate contact of the set screw with thetwo connecting arms. if the ball bearing were not used there is atendency for the set screw in its engagement against the two arms tosimultaneously move one arm upwardly and the other arm downwardly as thescrew is turned or rotated during the tightening operation. This ballbearing insertion creates a fastening means which obviates thisdifficulty.

The branding iron is then set upright and electric current is attachedto the free ends of the rods 29 and 29 to heat test the brand. Thisprocedure is advisable at this stage as it sets the deformation of theelectrode and removes any moisture which may be present as well as teststhe heating element for any defects.

Thereafter the handle and stem 2t) and 2l are connected together and theplug 57 is inserted into the stem. The leads from the electric cord 49are attached to the ends of the current carrying electrodes 29 and 29and the stem 21 is then inserted over the core portion 3G or' themetallic plug. A second set screw also may be used to retain the plug3f? to the stem Ztl. The assembly of the electric iron being shownpartially complete in FIQS. 9 and 1G or alternatively as assembled inFiGS. l and 2.

The supports 4) may at this time be mounted onto the arm by individuallytaking one of the supper... f* i ing the claw portion 4i over a portionof t ment as illustrated in FIGS. l and 2. The A is then inserted intoslot 3S, welded, and the excess end portion cut off. This operati-on isrepeated for the other additional supports considered necessary.

By providing a considerable number of spaced slots 33 spaced about theentire circumference of the annular fiange practically any particulartype of brand may be readily supported regardless of its configuration.

The modified form ofthe claws as illustrated in FGS. 5 and 6 employ aninsulating material 47 may be used, if desired., in place of claw di.

The modified form of wrap-around support illustrated in FiG. 9 may beused if desired by placing the claws 4i against the rear of the brandand wrapping the free end of the rod 4t)` around the heating element atwrap-around locations 53. The supports for the intermediate portion ofthe brand may thereafter be wrapped around at their opposing ends andthe rods will then be spot Welded at their point of intersection 54.

From the above description it is believed that the construction, methodof manufacture and use of the invention should be clearly understood.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes maybe made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scopethereof and therefore the invention is not limited by that which isillustrated in the drawings and described in the specification, but onlyas indicated in the accompanying claims.

What is claimed is:

l. An electric branding iron comprising elongated handle means, saidhandle means having a forward end portion, a tubular electrical heatingelement having its remote tubular ends mounted to said forward endportion of said handle means, said heating element having itsintermediate tubular portion forming the configuration of a brand andhaving resistor means therein, said brand of said intermediate tubularportion lying in a piane transversely across said forward end portion ofthe handle means and spaced forwardly therefrom, a plurality of brandconfiguration supports, said brand configuration supports eachcomprising attaching means straddling the rearward portion of saidintermediate contigurated portion, each of said brand configurationsupports further including slender elongated bracing means mounted attheir forward ends to said attaching means and projecting rearwardlytoward said handle means, mounting means attached to the forward endportion of said handle means, said mounting means being provided with aplurality of apertures disposed at spaced intervals upon said mountingmeans, said bracing means at their rearward ends being mounted to saidmounting means by being selectively received and retained within saidspaced apertures of said mounting means.

2. An electric branding iron according to claim 1 wherein said attachingmeans each comprise fork n f:ans wit said fork means each having legsarranged astri-de opposite sides of said intermediate tubular portion.

3. An electric branding iron according to claim 2 wherein the legs ofeach of said fork means have surfaces which contact said tubularelements only at locations separately spaced relative to one anotheralong said surfaces for bracing said heating element with a minimum of'conduction from the heating element to the fork means. i

4. An electric branding iron according to claim 1 wherein the saidforward end of the handle means of the branding iron comprises a plughaving a pair of generally longitudinal bores for receiving the remotetubular ends of the said heating element, said plug also having alateral bore communicating simultaneously with both longitudinal bores,said plug being internally threaded along said lateral bore, wedge meanswithin the lateral bore wedging against both of the remote ends of saidheating element, and a threaded screw threaded into the lateral bore toretain said wedge against the heating element and thereby retain theends of the heating element in the plug.

5. An electric branding iron according to claim 1, wherein said mountingmeans and its spaced apertures are disposed transversely about theelongated handle means, at said forward end portion of the handle means.

6. An electric branding iron according to claim l, wherein said mountingmeans comprises peripheral projecting means disposed transversely aroundthe elongated handle means, at said forward end of said handle means,and said spaced apertures are disposed at intervals along saidperipheral projecting means of said mounting means.

7. An electric branding iron according to claim l, wherein said forwardend of the handle means comprises a plug for receiving the remote endsof the heating element, and said mounting means comprises an enlargedradial ange fixed to said plug and extending annularly about said plug,with said spaced apartures forming circumferentially spacedopenings insaid radial iiange.

8. An electric branding iron comprising handle means, said handle meansincluding a longitudinally extending forward end portion, anelectrically heated tubular brand face having remote tubular endsmounted to said forward end portion `of said handle means, said tubularbrand face beingdisposed. transversely of the longitudinal axis ofsaidforward end portion and spaced forwardly thereof and including thecombination of brand support structure, said brand support structurecomprising radial flange means mounted to said iron adjacent saidforward end portion thereof, said radial flange means having a pluralityof circumferentially spaced apertures, a plurality of attaching meansmounted to portions of said tubular brand face, slender elongatedbracing means connecting each of said attaching means to Said radialflange means with said bracing means having rearward projecting portionsreceived within the apertures of said radial flange means and retainedtherein in a manner to be xed to said ange means.

9. An electric branding iron comprising an elong"ted handle means, anelongated tubular electric heating element with intermediate portionsforming the configuration of a brand and with its remote tubular endportions mounted t-o said handle means, said intermediate portion beingspaced forwardly from said handle and being of substantial breadth withthe front face of the intermediate portions lying in a planetransversely of the length of the handle, brand configuration supports,said brand configuration supports each comprising fork means, said forkmeans each comprising a pair of legs, said legs having portions disposedin a plane transversely to the plane of the front face of theintermediate portion of the tubular heating element and astride saidintermediate portion, said legs of each of said fork means having innersurfaces arranged in generally minimized contact with the exteriorsurface of the heating element, said legs having their remote free endsterminating short of the front face of the intermediate coniiguratedportion so as to maintain the front face of the intermediateconfigurated portion free and unobstructed whereby its front face mayentirely be able to physically engage the surfaces being branded, saidbrand configuration supports further comprising Islender elongatedbracing means mounted at their one end to each of said fork means andprojecting rearwardly from the plane of the front face and toward saidelongated handle means, and means to connect the other ends of saidbracing means to said branding iron adjacent the forward end of thehandle means of the branding iron.

10. An electric branding iron according to claim 9, wherein each pair oflegs of said fork means engage said heating element only at `locationsspaced relative to one another along their inner surfaces to minimizethe conduction of heat from the element to the fork means.

11. An electric branding iron according to claim 9, wherein said forkmeans including said legs are formed of a generally flat Iplate, withflat spaced forked portions forming said legs and straddlng said heatingelement edgewise, said spaced forked portions having their inner edgesurfaces forming the inner surfaces for contacting the heating element,and wherein said inner edge surfaces are recessed away from said heatingelement along intermediate portions thereof to minimize the conductionof heat from the heating element to the fork means.

12. An electrical branding iron comprising handle means having forwardand rearward portions, said iron further comprising an electricaltubular heating element having an intermediate tubular portion forming atubular brand face with said brand face being spaced forwardly anddisposed transversely across the said forward portion of said handlemeans yand with the remote tubular ends of the heating elementprojecting rearwardly into said handle means, and including thecornbination of a plurality of brand supports, each of said brandsupports including an elongated rod means, said rod means havingstraddlng means at the forward ends thereof, said straddlng means beingattached to the rearward portion of the tubular brand face, peripheralmounting means attached to said forward portion of said handle means,said rod means having rearwardly extending portions, means fixing saidrearward extending portions of said rod means to said mounting means ingenerally spaced locations along said peripheral mounting means, forbracing the tubular brand face relative to the handle means.

13. An electric branding iron according to claim 12, wherein saidstraddlng means comprises a fork means, with said fork means comprisinglegs astride opposite sides of said tubular brand face, and with saidlegs only contacting said heating element at locations on said legsspaced relative to one another to provide a minimum conduction of heatfrom the tubular brand face to the fork means.

14. An electric branding iron comprising handle means, .said handlemeans having forward and rearward portions, a tubular electric heatingelement having an intermediate tubular portion forming a brand face withsaid brand face being spaced forwardly and disposed transversely acrosssaid forward end portion, said heating element having its remote tubularends projecting rearwardly into the forward portion of the handle means,brand configuration supports, said brand configuration supports eachcomprising elongated sleeve means, said sleeve means having a centrallongitudinal portion cut away therefrom with its opposing longitudinalside portions partially surrounding and straddlng the rearward portionof the brand face, and with the outer edges of the longitudinal sideportions of the sleeve means terminating short of the forward portion ofthe brand face, elongated bracing means having its forward portion fixedto said sleeve and its rearward portion attached to said iron adjacentthe forward portion of the handle means, and said sleeve means includingspacing means to minimize the conduction of heat from the heatingelement to the sleeve.

15. An electric branding iron comprising elongated handle means, atubular heating element having an intermediate portion of the tubularheating element forming a brand conguration, said intermediate portionbeing disposed transversely and spaced forwardly of the handle means,said heating element having tubular ends forming supporting arms for theintermediate portion and projecting into the forward end of said handlemeans, the combination of a plurality of brand conguration supports,said supports each comprising slender elongated bracing means, saidbracing means each having fork means at their forward ends, said forkmeans each including a pair of legs bridging generally opposing surfacesof the intermediate tubular portion of the heating element, said legs ofeach fork means having surface portions for engaging the surfaces of theheating element only at locations spaced relative to one another alongsaid surface portions and so that only limited portions of the saidsurface portions contact the surface of the heating element to therebyminimize the conduction of heat from the heating element to the forkmeans, said bracing means further including end portions connectedthereto and projecting rearwardly, said end portions being wrappedaround said supporting arms of the heating element.

16. An electric branding iron according to claim 15, wherein saidelectric branding iron is provided with ground contact means adjacentthe forward end portion of said handle means, ground wire connectionmeans eX- tending from said ground contact means to be detachablyconnected to ground, -and wherein said forward end of said handle meanscomprises plug means, said plug means including a pair of longitudinalbores receiving the tubular ends of said heating element, said plugmeans also including a lateral bore communicating with both of saidlongitudinal bores, wedge means within said lateral bore engaging saidtubular ends of said heating element, screw means to retain said wedgemeans against said tubular ends and thereby retain and lock said tubularends of said heating element to said plug means.

17. An electric branding iron according to claim 16, wherein said plugmeans is formed of metal and said ground contact means is electricallyattached directly to said plug means for providing a ground for theelectric branding iron.

18. An electric branding iron comprising elongated handle means, atubular electric heating element having intermedi-ate tubular portionsforming a brand configuration with its remote tubular end portionsmounted to said handle means, said intermediate portions being spacedforwardly from said handle means with the front face of the intermediateportions lying in a plane transversely of the length of the handlemeans, a plurality of brand configuration supports, said brandconguration Supports each comprising slender elongated bracing means,said bracing means each having attaching means at their forward ends,said attaching means each comprising furcated portions diverging outwardfrom one another into spread spaced relation, said spread spacedfurcated portions of each of said attaching means only partiallysurrounding said intermediate tubular portions with at least one of saidfurcated portions on each side of said intermediate tubular portions,said furcated portions of each of said attaching means having itspartial surrounding surfaces engaging said intermediate tubular portionsonly at locations spaced relative to one another on said partialsurrounding surfaces to minimize the conduction of heat from theintermediate tubular portions to the attaching means, said bracing meanshaving rearward ends, and means to connect said rearward ends of saidbracing means to said iron.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 531,784Crosby Ian. 1, 1895 1,065,866 Fraley June 24, 1913 1,262,482 Hales Apr.9, 1918 1,998,330 Nicholson Apr. 16, 1935 2,514,618 Ancell July 11, 19502,707,224 Hall Apr. 26, 1955 2,777,933 Weaver Jan. 15, 1957 2,779,854Helbling Jan. 29, 1957 2,814,710 Schuetze Nov. 26, 1957 2,877,332 SeniorMar. 10, 1959

